Monthly Archives: January 2013

Support Civil Marriage in Lebanon

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Picture via Ghazayel

The fight to legitimize civil marriage in Lebanon and recognize Kholoud & Nidal’s civil marriage is not over yet as President Michel Sleiman reiterated his full support and slammed Prime Minister Najib Mikati for his take on the matter.

The Lebanese online community also reacted yesterday to Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani’s fiery remarks yesterday and started a Facebook Page where all Lebanese couples who had a civil marriage outside Lebanon are posting about it with the date and location and asking to legitimize civil marriage in Lebanon.

In case you missed what Qabbani said:

“Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani made fiery remarks Monday, saying any Muslim official who supported civil marriage would not be considered Muslim.

“Every Muslim official, whether a deputy or a minister, who supports the legalization of civil marriage, even if it is optional, is an apostate and outside the Islamic religion,” Qabbani said in a religious edict, or fatwa.

“[Such officials] would not be washed, would not be wrapped in a [burial] shroud, would not have prayers for their soul in line with Islamic rules, and would not be buried in a Muslim cemetery,” Qabbani added.”

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Pr. Sleiman not letting go off the civil marriage issue and asking Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to verify again Kholoud & Nidal’s contract

If you want to read more about the civil marriage law, click [Here].

Abjadiye.com

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abjadiyye

That’s a pretty cool website to learn the most used Lebanese words and sentences. I like how the lessons are divided. The first 5 are for free but you have to pay for the rest. You can check out more about Abjadiye [Here].

You are of Lebanese origin, or you are a friend of Lebanon wishing to communicate with fellow Lebanese or simply understand their conversations, Abjadiye.com is
for you.

You are a business-man, the Lebanese spoken language will be your passport to the entire Middle-East.

PS: This website could come in handy if you are reporting a kidnapping.

Ma fi Metlo – I saw you Jackses

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[YouTube]

I thought I figured out what Abbas meant when he says “I saw you Jackses” but then after watching few Ma fi Metlo episodes, I noticed he uses it in different circumstances. Does anyone know what it really means? Or is it just a silly phrase he came up with?

Speaking of Ma fi Metlo, it was honestly funnier when it started and it’s getting a little repetitive lately. I think that’s a bit weird because there’s so much material they can work on with everything that’s going on in Lebanon.

[YouTube]

[YouTube]

Eli Khoury named Man of the Year by ArabAd

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Picture from LorientLeJour

Lebanese Eli Khoury is the founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Levant in Beirut in 1992. The agency flourished, winning dozens of awards in Lebanon and the Middle East, setting new standards in
creative excellence and brand design across the region and becoming a key component of the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide network. [Bio]

He is currently the Chairman and Chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Levant.

Eli Khoury, directeur général et président de M&C Saatchi MENA, a été désigné homme de l’année 2013 par le magazine Arab Ad pour ses nombreuses réalisations et son travail créatif dans le domaine de la publicité au Liban, dans la région et à travers le monde. « Khoury est un patriote réformiste qui aura risqué son affaire à plusieurs reprises au nom d’une idée brillante, toujours avec le courage propre à ces hommes qui croient réellement en leurs capacités à changer le monde », a souligné Walid Azzi, éditeur et rédacteur en chef du magazine. Le choix d’Arab Ad a par ailleurs été salué par de nombreuses personnalités, dont l’ex-directeur général du groupe Zain qui écrit : « Il est difficile d’exprimer toute la gratitude et le respect que je lui porte tant sur le plan professionnel que personnel. C’est quelqu’un pour qui j’ai la plus grande estime et je reste extrêmement fier d’avoir eu l’occasion de collaborer avec lui. [LorientLeJour]

First Pictures of The HyperSport Lykan

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All pictures taken from Biser3a.com

First Peek at the W Motors HyperSport Lykan

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[YouTube]
This is the first peek at the first model of W Motors: The HyperSport Lykan – first seen on MotorvisionHD, on the 28th of January presented at Qatar Motor Show. The first Arabian Super Car!

The HyperSport Lykan, the world’s most exclusive supercar, will be launched today at the Qatar Motor Show 2013.

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Picture via Benoit Fraylon – Brand Communications Director at W Motors

Dog shot 12 times on Beirut Corniche

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Picture via GreenProphet.com

If Lebanese have no problem killing each other these days, I don’t find it hard to believe that they’d treat animals this way. Quite sad!

There’s a petition requesting “Justice for Whiskey” that was prepared by Christine Linder and addressed to Pr.Michel Sleiman and PM Najib Mikati. You can sign it [Here].

On Sunday 27 January 2013, Whisky was being walked by a friend of his owner along the Corniche of Beirut. According to Whisky’s wonder, Bassem, they would regularly walk along this busy part of Beirut, with Whisky playing with people and enjoying one of the few areas of public space for dog owners to walk with their dogs.

Around 9AM, Bassem received a phone call from his friend who had volunteered to take Whisky for a walk as Bassem was suffering from an injured leg. His friend said that Whisky had been shot 12 times and killed by a man who claimed that Whisky had attacked his daughter. Whisky regularly walked along this busy route and did not have a history of aggressive behavior. Rather he was remembered to be “very peaceful and lovely he used to play with everyone and smile for everyone”.

The shooter is now being held by the police, but it is not sure for how long. As the law protecting Animal Rights is still waiting to be implemented, this man may be released with a minimal, if not zero punishment.

In addition, Bassem has noted that the shooter is now arguing that Bassem should pay for the injuries that he suffered while killing Whisky. [Source]

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Picture of the dog before and after he got shot – Taken from Animals Lebanon

Reporting a kidnapping in Lebanon

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A lot of kidnappings in Lebanon take place in the Bekaa – Source

To sum up the story below in two words: If you don’t speak Arabic, you can’t report a crime to the ’112′ operators, and kidnappings are no longer a big deal in Lebanon.

Read the full story [Here]

At around 11pm on Friday night, I was texting while walking with a friend outside EDL in Mar Mikhail. I was immersed by the words of my message, but quickly snapped out of my trance when my buddy directed my attention to an incident in the middle of the road.

Four guys dressed all in black were in the process of throwing someone into the back seat of an old Mercedes with tinted windows. As they threw him, one of the four guys kicked the man into the car. According to my friend, one of the men was armed with a rifle, though I didn’t see it personally.

One man stepped into the car behind the forced person and shut the car’s door behind him, while the other 3 entered the car from the other doors and drove off. The car was followed by a smaller SUV (like a CRV).

My first response was to wave down a police car and explain the incident. Two members of the darak were in the car, one an officer, and neither took down notes when I explained the incident. When I gave them the license plate number, the driver (not the officer) pulled out his phone and typed in around 4 numbers (the license plate had 6 numbers) before putting his phone away. While they both looked slightly concerned, they simply nodded before driving off. I have no way of knowing if they followed up.

To be thorough, I called ‘112’ to report an emergency. I asked the operator if I could describe the incident to him in English but he responded by saying he only spoke Arabic. I did my best to describe the incident but the tone on the other end of the line inspired little hope that anything would be done.